Maryville Scots take Homecoming victory against Methodist Monarchs
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Maryville College Scots took on the Methodist University Monarchs in the MC Homecoming football game. The game was a decisive victory for the Scots, setting the tone for a happy Homecoming even through the rain that disrupted the middle of the game.
The Scots immediately took the lead, scoring a touchdown and the extra point within the first two minutes of game play. The game continued with this trajectory, with Head Coach Ben Fox calling it a “decisive win.”
“I am proud that our team was able to deliver a decisive win for our college and community on homecoming,” said Fox. “I thought our special teams units did a great job creating huge plays that led directly to touchdowns.”
With a score of 7-0 halfway through the second quarter, the Scots and Monarchs battled it out close to the end zone, with the visiting team scoring their first touchdown with seven minutes remaining in the half, no extra point scored.
However, the score didn’t stay close for long, with the Scots re-establishing their strong lead with a 46 yard run at four and a half minutes left in the half, scoring the extra point and setting the score at 14-6.
“Everyone was excited to win by such a large margin,” Fox said. “It allowed us to play a lot of young players and they got some great game experience.”
A block by Linebacker Tyler Barrett (‘25) and pickup at the one yard line led to a touchdown by Kemmanuel Liggett (‘27), making the score 21-6 with no extra point.
Rain started near the end of the half, continuing into the long 3rd quarter, in which the Scots took off. Early in the second half, another block from Barrett and a return by Wide Receiver Brock Skelton (‘25) led to a touchdown and the extra point, giving the Scots 27 points to the Monarchs’ 6.
Next for the Scots, players got the ball up to the 10 yard line, where Methodist then took possession. A fight broke out on the field, broken up by teammates and referees. With tensions high near the end zone, the Scots proved themselves again, with Running Back Griffin Swinea (‘26) rushing the extra six yards into the end zone halfway through the third quarter.
The Scots kept this momentum going, with a 23 yard throw received by Wide Receiver Zae Richardson (‘26) leading to a touchdown, setting the score to 41-6 with the extra point.
Linebacker Peyton Cooper (‘27) intercepted the ball at the 35 yard line, ran it to the 21 yard line with less than 5 minutes left in the game. The final touchdown of the game, scored with an 18 yard run, coincided with the sun peaking back out, shining down on this win for the Scots.
This 48-6 victory sets up momentum to keep the team and Fox excited about their next few games, the next of which is a game against Belhaven, which is also a championship game for MC.
“Everyone in the program is excited to continue winning,” he said. “Winning the homecoming game only made the rest of the games even more important.”